


Resurrection

by vase



Series: Revelations [3]
Category: RWBY
Genre: Gen, Oneshot, Politics, The White Fang, faunus, ideological debate, post v5
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-12
Updated: 2018-02-12
Packaged: 2019-03-17 08:42:15
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,400
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13655469
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/vase/pseuds/vase
Summary: The remainders of the White Fang’s leadership grapple with Sienna’s death and Adam’s treasonous assault on Haven, but soon find themselves drawn to their leader's tomb.





	Resurrection

The chambers of the High Leader was in darkness, save for the glow of a blue-lit Scroll held in the air by a lean, aged soldier, bedecked in a grey White Fang uniform.

One of the rooms two other occupants snapped in a young, rough voice, “Turn it off.”

Their request ignored, the Scroll continued to broadcast Ghira Belladonna's familiar baritone.

“ _Politically motivated violence is always to be abhorred. Those who engage in such do nothing but spread misery and will, in time, meet with failure or a violent end._ ”

“I said, turn it off,” she snarled again.

“Ignoring it won’t change things,” Countered a mechanically neutral voice from behind the Scroll as it continued.

“ _Strong words from the leader of the new ‘Faunus for Reconciliation’ movement, Ghira Belladonna. His statement here today, echos those made by the Mistral councils and Mistral’s own police chief. Regarding White Fang sympathizers and the terrorist organizations deceased leader, Sienna Khan. Sienna Khan, who was murdered by her heir apparent, Adam Taurus, the butcher of Beacon, still enjoys some popularity among violent and criminal Faunu_ -”

“ **Off!** ” She snarled, metallic tail slamming the floor with a violent smash.

A low hiss filled the chambers as a gloved hand weaved out and snatched the Scroll from its owner and shut it off with a click before tossing it back.

“Ignoring it may not change anything, Master-Technician, but we needn’t listen to Mistrali propaganda." Their voice was sibilant and high, despite possessing a firm, and level tone.

The technician shrugged, running a hand through thin grey hair and horns as they spoke, their voice filtered by their mechanical mask. “You are correct, Spy-Master, I just felt context was necessary.”

“We have context,” snapped the last figure, her metallic tail scraping across the ruined floor. “That Lionhearted coward, Ghira, sold us and the High Leader out and thanks to that **_idiot_ ** Adam, we’ve lost nearly everyone in the city!”

“Correct, Scout-Master,” the snake Faunus responded. “Though if it's any consolation, my spies have found that one, Kali Belladonna, began bickering with her husband after he made that remark. They cut the interview off there however, to maintain the illusion of unanimous approval.”

“Pfft,” The Scout-Master rasped, “Like it matters, sympathizers abandoning us hand over fist thanks to Adam. Soldiers and agents being brought down by the dozens or put on the run. We can’t even contact them all and even if we could-”

“None of us have authority enough to bring them all to side, not without the High Leader. Perhaps if War-Master Rex were here but...” The technician mused with a wheeze.

“But she is still consumed by Atlas work,” the Spy-master cut in, “and the last report that got through was not ideal.”

“ _They have begun establishing work camps, there is no pretense anymore, slavery has returned in whole to Atlas. The SDC is aiding them and they have a powerful agent active, code-named ‘maiden’. I need immediate reinforcements._ ”

The room fell silent again, before the Scout-Master spoke.

“Do we have enough fuel to get reinforcements to Atlas?”

The technicians hook their head. “If we did, we’d barely be able to support our local efforts, or the evacuations in Vale, or our communication hubs. Adam cleared out so much for those bombs of his and our ability to raid mines and shipments, let alone trade, has been undercut since the Fall of Beacon.”

“Besides, we don’t have the soldiers,” The Spy-Master cut in, weaving their way around the chambers pillars as though pacing.

Another snarl rang out throughout the chambers. “This place was on a skeleton crew before Adam showed up and stole everyone. I’ve got our domestic forces to protect the southern settlements and Menagerie, but the people don’t trust like before and without High Leader Khan-”

“There’s dissent,” Spy-Master said bluntly.

The rooms other occupants hummed in agreement as the spy continued, weaving in and out of their sight as they did so.

“With our resources and communication strained, Menagerie aiding in Mistral’s hunts for us and contention among our own locally and abroad, it's no wonder we’re struggling. Entire platoons can go weeks without reports, without supplies, if we can’t look after our own, what reason do they have to follow our orders?”

The technician rejoined the conversation, tapping their mask. “None of us were much for the limelight beforehand either, which doesn’t help.”

The Scout-Masters heavy foot falls filled the chamber as she snapped, “We can talk our problems to death all night, what are we going to do? I need to be able to get my soldiers organized and supplied to protect the settlements. We’re running low on everything, our main base is practically a ghost fort thanks to High Leader Khan having so many of us go out and help in Vale-”

“That worked out well for Adam,” the Spy-Master ground out. Glaring at the throne where Sienna Khan had fallen as their compatriot continued.

“Vale’s still a lynch mobs wet dream, Mistral is hunting us and slavery is back in fashion with Atlas. What are we actually going to do!?”

A grim silence hung in the air, finally, the Spy-Master spoke, quietly, head low, long black hair hanging around their face as they muttered. “It might be time to consider… Focusing what resources we do have where we can.”

“You mean cut off Atlas and what, Vale? Mistral? Have you heard what it's like on the streets down there?” Scout-Master railed, metal tail clanking against the stone floor.

“More than you do,” Spy-Master said neutrally. “But we’ve lost popular support there and in Vale, Atlas is on the other side of the world, and we can’t support everyone right now.”

“It might be the best we can do…” the technician mumbled, their synthesizer not hiding their own shame and frustration.

Another violent crack rang out in the chambers as the Scout-Master shouted. “This is sick! This is shit! This isn’t fair!"

"We’re meant to be protecting our people and now we’re just going to start cutting them off cos its too hard!? Cos one idiot ruined everything, we’re going to shatter and get, mopped up by humans and scattered to the wind!?”

Her breaths were ragged, muscles tensed, veins bulging as she cried out, “This isn’t right, this isn’t right!”

None would disagree with her.

It was then that the chamber doors burst open and light flooded the chambers. A spear-guard dropped to one knee and said, “The- The High Leaders coffin-”

The Spy-Master was gone, slithering away in a blur, blended to shadow.

“What, did someone vandalize it now!?” The red headed Scout-Master roared, her metal tail slapping the floor as she took off, followed by the technician.

The words of the Spear-Guard only barely registering as they went.

“No, its glowing!”

* * *

 

The casket was crafted from strong crimson stone & clay. Thickly packed and skillfully crafted to represent a stylized version of its occupant. Commissioned by Adam to ensure his ‘martyr’ could be properly objectified for his needs. Even with his fall, no one had been willing to break it open and remove the High Leaders corpse for a resting place she might have preferred.

Now though, the container shook.

Dust wafted in the air and a crimson red glow pulsed and radiated from the cracks that grew by the second, spreading line veins.

The catacombs, lined with grey tombs, were packed to the gills with soldiers, all who had abandoned their masks. Their eyes were wet with fear and anticipation.

“All forces stay back, this could be some Geist Grimm!”

Finally it happened, the clay splintered, shattered and vanished in a flash of bloody red.

A pulse of rocked the chamber as a towering pillar of light rose up like a beacon, piercing the roof and obliterating the senses, for an instant.

Then, with an almost tangible exertion of will, the pressure vanished. The light receded to a faint, pulsating glow and they stood before Sienna Khan.

She wore her uniform that seemed to flutter and ripple from the swirling energies trying to burst free of her frame.

Lancing across her skin and weaved through her Dust tattoos, were glowing lines of power. Each one connected to a thicker, more solidified sigil that matched her emblem, one framing her Bidhi, and one each on her wrists and bared ankles.

The woman’s body shuddered and her fangs bared as her muscles swelled to their full, impressive size.

Unfurling her claws she threw back her head and let loose a roar. It was both deafening and distant, it tore into the air with an explosion of force and echoed across the forests and through the halls of Fort Castle.

Finally, her head snapped back down, to finish taking in her surrounding. What met her gaze was hundreds of her kin, her soldiers, kneeling or having collapsed to their knees in tears.

Of them, only three remained standing and only the bravest and most wary slithered forward.

Baring her teeth in a familiar smirk, Sienna slowly offered her arm to the Spy-Master, who gingerly took it and checked her pulse, before gasping.

“It's true, you’re… alive…”

“You’ve returned to us, High Leader!”

“How is this possible!?”

As the din grew, Sienna slashed her hands through the air and in a dry, rough voice spoke.

“It is by but the slimmest of margins that I have returned to this life.” One hand touched her healed stomach as she continued.

“When the traitor made his move I readied for combat, but the locks and binds keeping my strength in check take time to unlock.

A fact he was aware of.

"The cowards blade ran me through before I could bring my forth strength to put an end to his treasonous bid to sell our people into the service of his human masters.”

Everything hurt, she ached, she needed to stretch, to sleep, eat! But Sienna could see the hope and fear on their faces, she knew their desperation. I am their leader, at all times and in all things I must be their rock.

Spinning around on the dais that held her corpse, Sienna continued.

“But he was not swift enough, and a trickle of my Semblances power was able to flood my body. It locked me into a hibernative state as it clumsily tried to heal me, even as my mind was elsewhere.”

Her muscles quivered under the pressure, she felt another burst of pain in her back as something popped or burst. She repressed it with a growl they mistook for being directed at Adam.

“Lost between the embrace of our ancestors and life, I was trapped in the abyss, left clawing my way back to the waking world. And through those trials, I broke the surface of deaths mire and took my first breath in weeks and was able to begin releasing my full strength!”

“But, High Leader, I have seen your Semblance, the number of emblems is wrong and it always formed a Glyph behind you.”

Sienna smirked at her Spy-Master. “You are correct, my friend, but now, my power and control have grown. My Aura and Semblance have… evolved,” she said with a gleeful growl.

“Now I return to you, to retake my role as High Leader and to bring justice for our people and reign retribution upon those who would oppress us!”

The chorus of cheers, roars and howls was near deafening, so much so her ears almost stuck to her head in protest, but Sienna resisted.

Her Spy-master slithered forward again, their fellows still too shocked, or in the young Scout-Masters case, in tears, to speak.

“High Leader, much has happened, we-”

Sienna cradled their cheek and nodded, “I know, my friend, even trapped beyond the veil my senses lingered and I already have a plan.”

Letting her energies flow through the Gravity Dust, Sienna floated from the dias and towards the open chamber doors before spinning around with a flourish of her cape.

“First, we must rally our forces, Master-Technician, if granted an opening, could you use the Haven CCT to boost a message across our pirate network?”

Blinking behind their mechanized mask, the technician nodded, “Yes, High Leader, though the back-door would be temporary, I could send out such a message.”

“I see,” Her Spy-Master murmured, “Announce your return and our forces will come flooding back, organization and unity will follow.”

Sienna nodded, “Indeed. While I am announcing my return and delivering the message to our people, you, and the Scout-Master will lead a task-force. Your mission, to liberate our kindred that have been captured since Adam’s fall. From there,” she continued casting her gaze across them, “each of you shall have a greater duty to fulfill.

“Master-Technician, you shall command Fort Castle and manage our communications! Spy-Master, you will be granted official control of half our air fleet and see to the defence of the trade paths and the evacuation of our kindred in Vale. Scout-Master, you shall take the reigns of our forces in the settlements and ensure their safety and that of the refugees. Meanwhile, have your scouts seek out every raids on the debt mines, and seek out new sources of Dust.”

The Scout-Master’s grin was wide, her prosthetic tail lashing excitedly even as she raised her hand. “High Leader, Mistral is in lock down, even with your call, raiding their prisons won’t be easy.”

Sienna's hand curled into fists, “I shall provide all the cover you need.”

That brought her grin up to wide and toothy, showing off her sharpened, spiked teeth, the soldier asked. “But what of Atlas High Leader?”

Sienna nodded, a grim set to her features. “If what War-Master Rex said is true, then we’ve no choice but to aid our kindred. Thus, I shall take my flagship and infiltrate Atlas. Fermenting rebellions across Mantle, into the slums of Atlas, and even into their highest institutions. When their tin dictator brings forth his greatest weapons, I shall be waiting for him, and together,” she held up her hands and bared her claws.

“Together, we shall bring the Atlesian slave masters to their knees!”

The cheer that sprung up dwarfed the previous one, as her soldiers chanted her name and called for justice, retribution and freedom.

Spinning around mid-air, she ordered, “Come, warriors of the White Fang, champions of the Faunus, we have work to do!”

**Author's Note:**

> I desperately want Sienna back and would love for this to happen :D
> 
> All of the White Fang's leadership are OCs, Rex is from my 'The Knights Errant' fic, but the rest were concocted much later when I developed my 'White Fang para-military' head canon, I am happy to answer questions about any member of the triad if anyone has them. Apologies for the overuse of their titles over names, I hope it worked. 
> 
> Also, for reference, Sienna's Semblance stores up her Aura for days or weeks on end and said stored energy can then be brought to the forefront all at once and used to manifest as a big sigil behind her. However charging it leaves her weakened an vulnerable and its use is difficult and damaging, so Sienna tries not to rely on it.


End file.
